SR0261 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0261 LRB095 12533 KXB 37752 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of William S. Abbott of Godfrey, who passed away on May 8, 2007; and

WHEREAS, William S. Abbott was born September 21, 1917, in Wood River to Sidney and Della (Hunter) Abbott; he married Frances L. Shankland on June 4, 1955, in St. Louis; and

WHEREAS, William Abbott was a 1936 graduate of Alton High School; he began his long career in the tool and die field at Olin Corporation; during World War II he worked as a toolmaker at the Navy Pier in San Francisco, Curtis Wright (Boeing) in St. Louis, and the Small Arms Ammunition Plant (Olin), also in St. Louis; after the war, he started a small machine shop in the basement of his home in Alton, which later grew into Piasa Tool and Die; in the late 1950s it was the largest machine shop in the area, at one time employing over 100 people; Piasa Sports Car Company was also housed in the same facility, where he was a dealer for Jaguar, MG, Morris Minor, and Riley cars; today the company continues as Abbott Machine Company in the same location, under the ownership of his sons, Robert and Rick; and

WHEREAS, William Abbott was well known, both locally and worldwide, for his collection of antique cars and motorcycles; he started an antique car museum in Grafton in the 1950s but it did not continue, though he still amassed more vehicles for his collection; he kept his collection at Homeridge Farm in Jerseyville for many years and later moved to the former Mercedes dealership building in North Alton; he donated many cars to museums, including the National Museum of Transport in St. Louis, the Auburn, Cord, Duesenburg Museum in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and the Classic Car Club Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan; and

WHEREAS, William Abbott was preceded in death by his parents; a daughter in infancy; a granddaughter, Michelle Abbott Brose; and two brothers in infancy; and

WHEREAS, William Abbott is survived by his wife, Frances; his sons and a daughter-in-law, Robert and Sonia Abbott and Richard "Rick" Abbott; his grandchildren and their spouses, Teresa and Michael St. Peters, Andrea and Aaron Webb, Jason "J.B." Abbott and Eric Abbott, and Jody and Joe Poletti; and his four great-grandchildren; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of William S. Abbott; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of William S. Abbott as a symbol of our sympathy.